2036 Golden Knight (Part 4)

The Cursed Flames killed dozens of soldiers at once while the explosion they produced upon impact killed hundreds and wounded even more. Leari was so shocked by the disappearance of Stormlight that she reacted to Solus' attack one second too late.

She struck at the creature's chest with the Davross head of the Fury, making short work of the Adamant armor that was supposed to protect the Thunderborne. Both the enchanted metal and the ribcage underneath became covered in cracks.

Leari's wings spasmed as breathing had become agony, yet it was also her quickest way to recover. Solus recalled her weapon to her hand and moved past the Divine Beast, but not before throwing the Fury at the Thunderborne again in a backhand move.

The Furies' Flight ability activated, splitting the hammer into three which in turn split into three again.

Each one of the nine hammers absorbed the surrounding world energy through the white crystals on their surface, working in unison to produce a powerful gravity field that gave the small heads of Davross the kinetic energy of a meteor.

The first Fury struck the Thunderborne's head, interrupting her breathing technique and forcing her to bend down. The second hit her square on the spine and the wings stopped moving. Four hit the wings, breaking them, while the remaining three Furies pummelled at the Divine Beast's lower body.

Every strike opened more cracks in the Adamant armor and opened new painful wounds, but none of them was strong enough to kill.

'If only I had a gods' damned mana geyser at my disposal.' Solus inwardly cursed. 'It doesn't matter. I don't have to win this, just buy as much time as I can.'

While the Furies still harassed the Thunderborne, keeping her from recovering from her wounds and inflicting more, Solus brought her right hand to her neck and the Sage Staff returned to its full size.

She inhaled deeply, using Sky Blessing to refill her mana and charge Raptor.

Sharing the same energy signature as Lith allowed her to fuel the golems, but the lack of his bloodline abilities made it impossible for her to replenish his life force stored in the Spirit Crystals.

At the same time, she used the runes etched on the surface of the staff to complete those she had weaved with her mind and conjure the tier three gravity spell, Flipside.

Suddenly the soldiers of Thrud's second battalion found themselves falling upwards as gravity had been reversed and increased tenfold. Their screams echoed through the battlefield while their shining armors made them look like silvery stars that were visible from Belius' walls.

Then, the moment they reached the fringes of Flipside's area of effect, the gravity changed direction again. Solus moved the center of attraction from the sky to the middle of the third battalion.

The dozens of people caught by her spell were now falling under the effects of the amplified gravity, turning into living Orichalcum-coated projectiles. The impact killed barely a hundred people but the shockwave broke their formation, slowing the advance of the rest of the army.

The soldiers and the mages stationed over the city walls rejoiced, cheering so loudly that the wind carried their words to Solus.

In their voices there was no hate toward Lith or her. The people of Belius weren't wishing for the death of their enemies either. Those were screams of hope and gratitude that warmed Solus' heart.

'Mom was a great Forgemaster, but now I understand why people know about her work but are completely oblivious of her life.' She thought. 'By locking herself inside her lab first and her tower later, Menadion abandoned Mogar.

'She was so busy studying magic and searching for new ways to enchant her creations that she forgot about everything else. Aunt Loka made many mistakes, but she realized that a true Forgemaster doesn't just shape metal.

'If Blade Magic has taught me anything, is that a Forgemaster must shape people as well. Mom's creations, Aunt Loka's, and even Lith's do that every single day, changing lives for the better.

'I want to be more than just my work. I don't want to be forgotten ever again even if that means stepping into the light and fight!' As her determination resolved, thunderclouds filled the sky, eclipsing those that the Divine Beasts from the rear guard were carrying around.

The ground started to rumble, barely detectable at first but its intensity kept rising.

What was left of the second and third battalion joined their forces, unleashing against Solus enough spells to fill the sky. She had no choice but to make Raptor turn around and flee.

The Fury was back into her hand but it would have taken a while to conjure enough power to put a dent in Thrud's army. Solus's core was almost depleted again from the Gravity Spell and she couldn't risk Leari recovering before she did.

The people on Belius' walls were still cheering, but she didn't share their optimism. The first and second battalions had been decimated, but marching behind them there were many more.

The storm clouds were slowly catching up with the vanguard and once they arrived, they would bring the destructive power of a winter blizzard and seven more Divine Beasts would join the fray.

Lith felt the same way.

He could sense through the chains that bound him to the Demons that their energy was waning and their numbers dwindling. Leari had destroyed more than his golems could reform but he didn't have the time to go back and give his army new strength.

He put his amulet away and chased the Sekhmet, hoping to catch her before she returned to her full strength.

'Smart kid. That's why I like my opponents dumb.' Iata inwardly cursed her bad luck. 'Yet Verhen is underestimating me and Ufyl too much. I may be weakened, but I'm far from helpless. Also, I now know all of his tricks while he has yet to see mine!'

The Sekhmet had barely the time for a single full breath of Invigoration and she had to make do.

Both her feathered and membranous wings flapped in unison as he charged against the Tiamat instead of running away.

Iata infused herself with Life Maelstrom again, making the red scales that covered her body crackle with silver lighting and the raging violet flames that surrounded her head like a mane double their size.

'Fuck me sideways!' Lith inwardly cursed his bad luck. 'She has just become ten times more powerful and I've yet to learn if the sting of her tail produces acid like a Scorpicore or something even worse.

'If only she threw Life Maelstrom at me, I could Dominate it and even the field. That damn Dragon screwed up my plan. So much effort and I'm on my backfoot again. The only silver lining is that I managed to use Demon Grasp a bit.'

The Tiamat spread his Full Guard as wide as he could, hoping that it would be enough to dodge the attacks from an opponent much stronger than he was.

Iata was wary of him as well.

She knew about the Spirit Barrier of his armor and was afraid that if another blast of Void Flames hit her before the Seven Headed Dragon recovered, the next time she opened her eyes would be at the Golden Griffon again.